My original plan was to take a ferry overnight from Busan to Osaka, but with poor weather and sea conditions it got cancelled. However it was easy and quick enough to take a short flight and get to Osaka with more time to explore.

It was exciting to be back in Japan, having previously visited on a short trip in 2012. One of the first things I did was go to a small restaurant for some gyoza and a beer.

The next day I walked around the city in the sunshine and saw the castle with great views out over the park and city.

There are lots of areas around the city to explore, with transport very easy thanks to the metro. Walking around a traditional neighbourhood, I visited the Shitennoki temple.

It is interesting to walk around the Dotombori district, popular for nightlight and shopping. With lots of lit up restaurants and stores, a busy area all the different shop fronts trying to grab your attention for business.

I will do another post to summarise various Japanese food I tried on this trip. My next destination was to head south from Osaka down to Tanabe, from there I would hike some of the Kumano Kodo trail.